Commercial

Intellectual property management

The CRCP oversees all intellectual property (IP) and commercialisation activities. The Centre has a well developed IP management strategy. All existing relevant IP in the field is identified (with professional assistance) at the commencement of the projects and new developments are monitored by the project teams. The IP generated in the CRCP will be either protected by patents or kept as confidential ‘know-how’.

The ownership of IP resides with the CRCP unless the Board of the Centre approves other arrangements.

The involved industrial participant has the first right of refusal to commercialise the technology in the field and territories that it can effectively exploit. If it declines the right, the technology will be offered to other participants, then to the incorporated CRCP to exploit. In all cases, the incorporated CRCP will also commercialise the Centre’s technologies in applications and markets outside the interests of the user participants. This may involve the CRCP inviting end-users interested in pursuing these wider applications and markets to join the Centre as participants and jointly undertake these commercialisation activities. The Centre requires that the companies commercialising its technologies bear any costs associated with ongoing patent protection.

In its commercial arrangements the Centre seeks to ensure that commercialisation of Centre IP from each project maximises benefits to Australia.